Bali Massacre

[captfb]

Hello All,
In my short time here in AO I have read and learned from posts/tutorials from many people including those effected by these bombings. I also have had the pleasure of traveling across the world and met many Australians New Zealanders, Germans, Dutch and English who I consider now to be friends and family. My heartfelt condolences go out to the victims, victims families and their fellow citizens. I am not sure if one can fully understand the individual pain that losing someone causes but most victims of terror can relate to the lingering horror such senseless acts leave behind. You are not alone in this struggle. These events in Bali serve notice to all freedom loving people in this world, regardless of religion or economic belief, that we are in the fight of our lives. It saddens me that this should come in our lifetime. What can we as security/computer/programming enthusiasts do to make our world safer for everyone?

Captfb

[Chuck56]

I'm sure there's a lot we can do. First, we can live our lives as we've always lived them. I refuse to go through the rest of my life looking over my shoulder or wondering if the restaurant or shopping mall I walk into is going to be vaporized. Nor will I be led into taking more precautions than I've ever taken.

As far as computers go, I'm assuming these characters are computer or Internet savvy and probably use them to transmit messages or instructions. I'm not knowledgeable in that area and, at my age, probably won't live long enough to become genuinely knowledgeable. I just can't believe all the talent and skill we have can't be focused on finding them via computer and disrupting them in some way.

[Tedob1]

I'm glad you started this thread the last one on this topic went belly up.

I hope everyone’s aware that this happened on the 2nd anniversary of the bombing of the USS Cole. And although al-Quada hasn’t claimed responsibility for this act we must remember they haven’t claimed responsibility for any of their acts of terror.

Young people on vacation, a college football team... the despicable nature of this is indescribable. How can anyone do this and call himself or herself human. They can’t even try to justify their actions, as they have with the US, by saying that these victims drop bombs on them or supply Israel with weapons.

This outrages me beyond words

[Mahakaal]

I know this might be slightly off topic, but there was an explosion on a French oil tanker killing one and dumping almost 100k barrels of oil in the Gulf of Aden. Entire story here. In another incident(well two actually) US Marines came under fire in Kuwait on two separate occasions. In the first incident, two marines were shot, one is dead and the other is wounded. The attackers were apparently killed by the return fire. The 2nd incident is still under investigation. Good observation BTW Tedob.

[ntsa]

Originally posted here by Tedob1
I'm glad you started this thread the last one on this topic went belly up.

Me too! Iv'e never had a thread top itself before - it was quite exciting!

And if the stokholm hijaker had made it on board that flight to London then it would have been very near on the aniversary of 9/11. Al-Quaida (though as I suggested in the thread that died I feel that there is the tendancy both in the media and at government level to use this a perjorative for all fundamenatlist activity in the current political climate) are fond of the use of symbolic targets/dates. Could this have been a secondary target? - it seems so poorly though out - so pointless - so self-destructive.

I was in Bali last month on holiday - my sincerest condolences to all those lost and injured, Australian, British and Indonesian.

[Conf1rm3d_K1ll]

Originally posted here by Tedob1

They can’t even try to justify their actions, as they have with the US, by saying that these victims drop bombs on them or supply Israel with weapons.

There are quite a few reasons that Australians are targets. The main two are-

1. Australia's involvement in East Timor

2. To a lesser degree, Australia blindly following the US in to battle has also made us more of a target....


Sadly, this event has affected my neighbours on a personal scale with the loss of loved ones. I can honestly say that I never thought terrorism would hit so close to home. Especially not next door. I guess I was just naive.


Is the "war on terrorism" achieving anything? Obviously not. Is just making matters worse? I think it is....


More military action isn't going to bring an end to these type of incidents. I fail to see how destroying the "axis of evil" (wtf is that, anyway?) is going to achieve anything, except piss more people off. There has to be a better way......

[SoggyBottom]

About 4 months ago, I was in the exact spot that the bomb went off and I do wish to send out my condolences to anyone affected, not only Australians, but I believe that other nationalities of people missing include Americans, New Zealanders, German, Dutch, English...

I also feel for the Balinese who make a living in and around the Kuta vicinity in Bali. Despite their living conditions, they are very happy and always have a cheerful manner. This tragedy will ruin these people, if not Indonesia.

Is it me, or is the world starting to spin out-of-control?

[Mahakaal]

And if that wasn't bad enough, guess who will be in a coalition govt in Pakistan, or at least as a big opposition[Pakistan follows the British Parliamentary system]. After the recent elections there, it turns out an Islamist party has won quite a few number of seats. Enough to be able to start to change things there. The sad thing is that until recent times, the Islamists in Pakistan were always relegated to the sidelines, never getting enough votes etc, and hardly ever having any say in Govt affairs. It seems the war on terrorism has made some of the fence sitters change their minds for the worst.
Entire article here.

[johnnymier]

I had the chance to travel through southeast Asia last summer, I didn't go to Indonesia. Attacking a tourist resort like Bali is an act that cannot be categorized as human, it is a shame that beautiful tourist destinations become unsafe because of the hatred in some mad man's mind. It's gonna bring a crisis also on the Indonesian people, who like most southeast asians are friendly folk.

[aut0psy]

I just wanted to send my condolences out to all those affected by this, its starting to really hit the fan on this terrorist situation and I think soon we're going to have even more countries get involved to attack these groups and eliminate them. Although I think we all know, there's always going to be groups such as these somewhere and as soon as we eliminate one of them, another one will start to form and pop up somewhere else. Considering this what does everyone else think about this problem? Perhaps negotiations to radical groups or should we develop systems and special task forces to deal with them?